In the early hour of September 5, a group of Special Forces soldiers staged a coup d’état in Guinea’s capital Conakry. They held President Alpha Condé hostage and took control of the country. The leader, Mamady Doumbouya, a French Legionnaire, said the coup was a response to Guinean people’s concerns about corruption, personalisation of state institutions and a dysfunctional public service, among other issues that are experienced in many countries.

These are true and legitimate demands by the people of Guinea. Condé changed the constitution in March 2020 to run for a third term in office, which culminated in rigged elections in December 2020. This exacerbated citizens’ unhappiness and many political actors were arrested during protests. Some were disengaged from the political scene, while others strove to find other means of changing the country...